Blind Trust - Part One
by watlocked
Summary: Max is the saviour of mankind, right? But what if she wasn't the only 'Sandeman special' child? Set as a continuation of Max and Alec's journey through life towards acceptance. I know there are a lot of 'what happened after' stories; this is just my take of it. Also, the Genre's might be off - I'm not very good at picking which ones fit the best. Feel free to correct me.
1. Prologue

**AN - Okay, so this is the prologue, and just for a head's up it kind of sucks.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Dark Angel, Fox, or any other of the material in this story other than that which I have fabricated from my own imagination. **

**Rating - PG-13 (There are no actual swear words written in, it is just taken to be understood that they are expressing themselves verbally. I thought I'd try doing it without any cussing, but that didn't seem to fit the characters or do justice to the continuation of Dark Angel. Also, I'm kind of brutal to Alec in this series - he gets beat up, nothing graphic, no in depth writing about it you just, again, understand that he's had the crap beaten out of him.)**

**Spoiler warnings for Season Two mostly - mainly Freak Nation, and Fuhgeddaboudit. And several others . . . really just the whole season two. **

_**Prologue**_

Transgenics. Mutants. X5, X6, X7; the list of X's and others went on and on, and really no one outside of Manticore really knew how many there were or what their purpose was. Each one bearing their own designation number in the form of a barcode on their neck. No one knew they even existed until they escaped.

Manufactured in labs, refined by scientists, and trained to kill, they were dangerous; highly skilled, highly intelligent super humans who possessed certain DNA characteristics of animals. The X5's were known for their cat DNA, which led to an increase in muscle efficiency, sight, hearing, and speed. X7's were batty, literally; X6's had snake - they could bend farther easier than anyone else ; they also had cat in them like the X5's.

Then there were the special soldiers. Arctic Division, Desert Recon, Desert Strike Force, Aerial Intelligence, the Trench Diggers. Everything Manticore thought up, they cooked up.

And then their lab experiments broke out.

The pulse was a catastrophe for most humans; for the Transgenics it just made the world easier to hide in. Some Transgenics broke out before anyone else; they were the pioneers of freedom for the Manticore soldiers. Max Guevara was among their number.

She spent ten years evading capture and making a living, making friends; then she met Logan Cale, a millionare with a conscious who devoted all his time, money, and life to bettering society and cleaning up the city. Eyes Only was his cover, a layer of protection over himself and his contacts so that no one could find him.

Max was the first solid clue he found to the existence of Manticore; all other information had come from shady sources and whispered conversations.

Logan convinced Max to help him, and she became his cat burglar, his friend, and, in time, his love. But Max's luck, though strong, couldn't last forever.

She was captured, presumed dead, and Logan's world fell down.

But Max was very much alive. Fighting to keep hold of herself she was forced back into the world of designations and orders, a world she hated.  
She seized the first opportunity she got to escape, and she forged alliances with anyone she met willing to help her.

Joshua, the first Transgenic, and the only one without a barcode; a soldier with Canine in his cocktail, and love in his heart, he became her loyal guard and helper, aiding in her escape and eventually living in the shadows behind her.

Alec, designation X5-494, named Alec for his smart alec attitude and carefree manner. Originally Max's 'breeding partner', he also aided in her escape, and when Manticore torched the compound to cover their tracks and destroy the evidence that could be used against them, as well as getting back at Max for running away yet again, he escaped.

And so did everyone else.

The world wasn't ready for the truth of Transgenics to come to light, so they hid. They lived in the shadows, in the tabloids, running for their lives from Manticore's remnants and an old enemy, they made a living any way they could.

Alec became Max's worst co-worker; Joshua became her inspiration and brother.

The love between Logan and Max, however, was never to be the same again. Manticore knew who Logan truly was - Eyes Only, a vigilante and do gooder. So they used their knowledge in advanced Gene splicing to create a retrovirus genetically designed to kill one person and one person only- Logan Cale. And then they made Max the carrier.

These friends went through many trials, and in the end they were exposed to the public's knowledge, exposed by an Agent Ames Wight, secret member of a genetic breeding cult that was bent on the destruction of all Transgenics.

But that wasn't all.

Sandiman, the founder of Manticore, was far from a mad scientist - he was a believer in justice, and he knew of a plot - a plot to kill all mankind who weren't considered 'strong enough' to live. The Cult branded him a heretic and threw him out, but he made a saviour for the world, a hope for when the darkness grew.

Her name was Max, designation X5-452.

The Transgenics exposure led to their exile into what is known as Terminal City in the post-Pulse city of Seattle, Washington.

As each side stood on guard against the other, the Transgenics flag of hope, created by Joshua, snapping in the wind; each side waited for the other to act.

Each side waited, to see what the other would do.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

"Hey Max," Alec's as usual carefree voice woke Max up from her life summary. "What's up?"

"Oh, you know; wondering what to do," she answered slowly, shrugging.

"You do realize that you aren't the only one in Terminal City that knows how to plan, right? You can take a minute to think of yourself, you know."

"Oh, and what - leave our fate up to you?" she looked at him sideways. "No way."

"Come on," he punched her in the arm. He'd noticed lately that Max had been acting, older; more somber, serious - almost depressed. She never smiled for more than two seconds, unless she was spinning an 'I'm okay' lie to Logan, and Alec hadn't heard her laugh in days. Even with Joshua doing everything in his power to get a giggle out of her.

"You okay? and," he stalled her automatic response with an upraised hand and derivative snort. "Trust me, I know when you're lying - which, lately, is a lot. So wha'sup?"

"My temper," she glared at him, hoping he'd go away.

"Well - now I'm intrigued," he smiled that false, wide, all teeth showing smile that he seemed to have perfected for driving her mad. Sitting beside her he bumped her shoulder, watching her  
expectantly.

"I don' know," she said half heartedly, sighing heavily.

"Tell you what - let's do a word association game, heh?"

"Oh no," Max shook her head emphatically. "Heck no, I am not doing a 'word association' game with you," she slipped off the ledge, landing on her feet with a thud and started walking away towards the lounge building.

"Oh come on!" Alec smiled, jogging to catch up with her. "Joshua."

"Get lost," she snapped.

"Really? that's the first thing that pops into your head when I say Joshua's name?" he feigned injury.

"When you say it, yeah," she shoved the door open, letting it go when Alec started coming in.

"What'd I do?!" he said indignantly, letting the door slam shut.

Max jumped and cringed. "Really!"

"Sorry," Alec said, instantly submissive.

"Just, leave me alone, okay?"

"Look, Max, I'm just trying to help -"

"Yeah? Well, I don't need help; especially not from you!" Max's tone made Alec stop in his tracks. It also drew Logan's attention, who'd been working on encrypting the Transgenics security system.

"Okay, ya know what? Fine!" Alec snapped back, turning around and walking out, making sure to slam the door even harder.

Max sighed, angry. "Great!"

DADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADA DA

Alec walked quickly, head tucked, shoulders hunched slightly to ensure his jacket covered his barcode, a habit he'd picked up by necessity through living in Seattle along side the 'ordinaries', as some Transgenics called Humans. The rain was another reason he kept his head tucked, though he honestly didn't mind it that much - it was a cool, constant drizzle, and though it soaked his hair after several minutes he found it a welcome relief.

Thinking of where to go he decided to just wander - he didn't feel like dealing with Joshua's enthusiasm, Original Cindy would just give him a 'leave my Boo alone' speech and Logan, well, Logan wasn't an option; at least not with Max's 'I'm seeing Alec' lie still standing between the three.

Besides, Alec thought. I don't really know the lay out of Terminal City - not a very good strategic move on my part.

He'd been walking for a good fifteen minutes, randomly turning this way or that, sometimes going in circles accidentally. Honestly he wasn't really paying attention to where he was going, which is why it came as such a surprise when someone stepped around a corner and hit him square in the forehead with the butt of a rifle. He hit the ground hard, the back of his head making a resounding contact with a metal pipe that was laying on the ground.

He shook his head to clear it, blinking rapidly to clear the grey edges threatening to swallow him. His mind took a few seconds to recognize the face standing over him, but when it did he was back on his feet in a split second fighting the urge to turn tail and run.

"Hello, X5-494," White's monotone drone made Alec think that if he'd had hackles, they would be standing on end sparking with electricity.

Alec swallowed nervously, speechless. He saw ten men behind White, and if any of those men were in the breeding cult like the five people from the Jam Pony incident had been, Alec was dead. Very dead.

So he did the first thing that came to mind when he weighed all the odds together. He ran. As hard and as fast as he could manage it.

White snorted when Alec finally reacted. So much for genetically engineered superiority. "Get him," White told the National Guardsmen behind him, drawing his gun as he let some of them get ahead. Might as well let them take the brunt when Alec realized he couldn't run.

Alec cursed, and not for the first time, as he rested bent over breathing deeply with his hands on his knees. The bruises he'd gotten from the beating at Jam Pony were doing nothing to help in this escape and evade mess he'd gotten himself into, and to top it off - he was lost. Relatively. His mind wasn't operating correctly, the ever present clouds over Seattle looked thicker than ever and he couldn't rightly recall which way base was located - East, West, North, or South.

He didn't even hear the Guardsman walk up behind him; he couldn't even hear himself curse yet again as his hands hit the ground palm first.

Seeing stars again he snarled silently, reacting with a feral kick from where he was on his knees. He felt the man's ribs break, but he didn't stay to watch him fall. Sound came back to him in a rush, nearly making him fall down again.

Breathing a sigh of half relief when he saw the fence Alec jumped, nearly topping it in one leap. Swinging over the top he dropped down, landing heavily on the balls of his feet. The sector police that had been set up around the perimeter the entire week were instantly on alert, pointing their every gun at him. Holding his hands high in the air Alec shook his head again, trying to get rid of a sense of pressure growing in his head.

He heard when the National Guard started climbing the fence behind him, so he did the only thing he thought he could. He ran and jumped over the police cars, hoping to lose White in the winding streets.

Landing smartly on the other side of the fence White sighted and took the shot, smirking smugly as 494 fell. Teach him to run. He rolled his eyes as the Transgenic continued, forcing himself into a standing position with his arms up in a defensive posture, wary glances raking the now advancing crowd of ignorant citizens.

Alec felt the bullet tear through his leg, losing his balance as his muscles screamed in defiance at his next step. Getting up as fast as he could he raised his arms into a classic guard position, judging, calculating - noting the blood thirsty crowd of citizens already starting to surround him.

How had he gotten into this mess? Oh yeah - he'd wanted to make Max smile.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Hey Max!" Logan's voice called from the balcony above.

Max huffed in irritation - she'd chosen the alcove underneath the stairs for her work space of planning a treaty with the humans (something she hadn't revealed to anyone else, not even Joshua or Original Cindy) because it conveyed a sense of, the boss is working, leave her alone. Apparently that didn't work on Logan.

"This looks serious Max!"

The sharper note in his voice, coupled with the higher pitch, made her send the chair she was sitting in backwards as she burst out from behind the draped blanket and ran up the stairs as fast as she could, which, considering her origins, was pretty fast.

Logan jumped when Max seemingly 'appeared' beside him. Quickly recovering he wordlessly pointed to the scene that had aroused his panic. A group of eleven National Guardsmen, Agent White numbered with them, inside Terminal City, and Alec was headed right for them. And it didn't look like he was aware of anything out of the ordinary.

He watched slightly jealous as he saw Max's eyes fill with horror as she realized exactly how the scenario in front of her was most likely to pan out. Alec would never see it coming - not with the way he was walking, head down, completely absorbed in his own thoughts.

"Joshua!" she didn't know why but his was the first name she called. Taking a split second to note the location the camera was showing her, she leapt off the raised computer area and hit the door running with a slightly confused Joshua following right behind her.

"Max? What's wrong?" Joshua asked in his particular way of speaking - slow but distinct. A quality that more often than not got him labeled as a slow, bumbling idiot. Even with Max sometimes.

"Alec's walking straight into White and he has no idea," she explained on the run, noting that several others had joined the posse. Why not? If the National Guardsmen had gotten inside the fence, the Transgenics needed to know how they'd gotten in; and why they were there.

Max reached the location Alec had been minutes before and found signs of blood on a pipe. She knelt to feel it, testing its warmth. "Fresh." she concluded.

"This way," Joshua's nose kicked in - the smell of blood made him feel nervous; it wasn't normal blood. It was Alec's blood. Scenting continuously Joshua led them on a bit of a merry chase, following the path Alec had taken.

Max grew more and more nervous as she noted the erratic path that Alec had taken. Then she heard the shot.

Abandoning the attempt to trace Alec's steps she ran in as straight a line as she could towards where the sound had come from.

Stopping short when she came around a corner to find the fence blocking her path she felt Joshua bump into her slightly, panting. "Alec." the big fella scented the air, catching the smell of even more blood.

"Stay back!" the Police warned the group that had come into the clearing.

"Alec!" Max panicked when she saw a body bag being loaded into a van. White's van. Speechless with horror she tried to think of something to do, someway to rescue her friend.

"Don't even think it!" White's taunt reached her ears; he was pointing his gun right at her chest. "Even Transgenics die with bullets in them."

Joshua growled. Then he snarled. And he didn't stop, stepping forward to block White's veiw of and clean shot at Max.

"Max!" Logan's urgent call from behind made her turn. "We gotta go, there's nothing we can do."

"No!" she whirled away from him, fighting tears unsuccessfully. "I'm not abandoning him!"

"Max!"

"NO!"

"Look," Mole's matter-of-fact, no nonsense voice came. "We'll get the bugger, but right now we're outnumbered. And you have a couple of bugs on you, Max."

"What?" she looked at him confused.

Joshua answered the question for her. "Laser sights."

Looking down at her chest she hit the ground and pulled back in practically the same motion. Joshua and the others quickly followed.

"Take her out," White smacked the side of the van, smirking when he saw 452 duck and retreat out of the snipers range. "We've got what we need."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Alec jerked awake as pain flashed through his body, making him scream. He tried to fight free, tried to move, but there were straps holding him down, and something drugging his mind that made thinking practically impossible. But he kept fighting.

Shouts from nearby told him that he was not alone, and that his efforts were not going unnoticed, but he still fought. Kicking, straining, screaming.

Someone tried to silence him by covering his mouth. Twisting his head to make their hand slip he bit down hard, gagging on the metallic taste of blood. More shouts joined the chorus of slowly panicking people as they tried to stop him, to contain him. Fire in his veins, hands on his body, a soft voice in his ear telling him to give in, give up. Stop fighting, just let them work, let them fix him.

Manticore. Duty, Mission, Discipline. 494. Renfro.

No.

He was not going to let them take him back. Steal his soul, seal his mind; make him forget love, warmth, compassion. Family. Alec.

NO.

With one final wrenching twist he felt the straps loosen, but they didn't give. So he kept trying. He was not going to give up again, he was not going to give in like he had before.

With a snap his legs were free, and he kicked everyone he could reach. Hands grabbed his ankles, but he pulled and kicked, twisted and jerked, planting his feet on the bed with his knees bent to snap the straps restraining his torso. Sitting up he rolled off the bed.

Everything was on fire. His leg throbbed as warm blood flowed from the bullet wound, but his mind no longer registered such things. He continued to kick and scream unintelligibly as they continued to fight to restrain him. He twisted his arms, intent on breaking the bonds that kept his wrists tied, a strap around his shoulder pinning them to his torso. He slipped the strap over his head, punching someone in the face.

The door was flung open, men in boots stomped in; more hands on him. More faces to punch. Knees to kick. Hands to bite. He snapped the ropes binding his wrists, pushing himself into a standing position. Leaning on those around him he steadied himself on his feet, breathing heavily. They tried to grab him, to stop him.

He fought. And he ran. Finding the door still open he ran as fast as he could, hitting, kicking, fighting. He went dead weight on anybody who tried to grab and carry him; he snapped the nose of anyone who got in front of him. Then he was in a space, a large space, where sound echoed and people screamed, running.

Pausing for breath, he bent over.

He hit the floor hard, with a weight on his back, and metal against his neck. A gun, he dimly registered. Never wrestle for a gun. But that was Manticore talking again. Arching his back he slammed his elbow backwards, knocking the guard off his back. Grabbing the gun, which was still in the man's hand, he twisted it, hearing the man scream as his fingers were snapped.

More people ran, more sound echoing. He wished they wouldn't make things echo like that - it made it hard to think, to hear. He was blind. Somewhere in the back of his head he came to this conclusion as he blinked, feeling his eyes close and open again, but didn't sense a change in his perception of the black in front of him.

More weight in his back.

He needed to get out of here.

Bucking that guard off he slammed the butt of the gun into the man's windpipe, silencing his call for backup; he tossed the gun aside, flexing his burning fingers.

Then he was running; breaking through a window, he stopped, listened, then took off, going anywhere. Anywhere that wasn't here.

Running blind, when done literally, was not fun. Nor was it easy. And it certainly didn't allow him to melt into the shadows like he wanted to. To sit and rest; regain his breath, tie his wounds.

Instead he was forced to keep running, keep moving. The soldiers were after him; looking everywhere for him. He walked as fast as he could, limping, shivering in the light cotton hospital quality shirt and pants. They were probably grey. Everything at Manticore had been grey. Made sense his clothes were grey right now. Grey and red.

Finally he had to sit down; he couldn't go any further; every step made him flinch, ever breath felt like he had nails being driven into his ribs. An iron band around his head, blood flowing down his leg. He was laying a beautiful blood trail, he was sure of it.

It started with a whisper, purposefully quiet and supposed to be hard to hear, but he was a Transgenic.

"Go get Harry" "Find George" "Where's Ashley" "Fetch a pipe back here" "Where's my gun"

Time was up. Trying to hold back tears of pain as he started moving again, he struggled to his feet, barely able to stand on his own. He moved slowly, limping, wincing, breath coming hard; every move making his body scream in protest. And then the first hit came. He would've sworn he could literally see stars for seconds after that; and when they'd cleared he was on his knees falling sideways, feebly trying to curl into a ball, covering his head that was still ringing from that first hit. He snarled as they shouted. He kicked as they hit. But it didn't do any good.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The snarls sounded like a wild animal; ferocious, terrifying to anyone who had a brain. But then most people didn't these days. They were happy to let blind fear dictate their every thought.

"Hey!" she shouted, infuriated when she saw a group of people surrounding the animal, beating it. "HEY! STOP IT!" she ran, grabbing a plank as she approached. That wasn't an animal. That was a Transgenic. And he looked on the edge of death.

"STOP IT!" her voice cracked with panic and terror as she started randomly hitting people as hard as she could. Finally they started backing off, letting the bloody planks and pipes fall from their grips.

The Transgenic wasn't moving anywhere. His chest no longer moved in and out.

Shirley tried to fight the tears, but she couldn't hold back the grief she felt.

"Trannie lover!" they mocked her.

"Whatcha gonna do? eh?!" she bit off each syllable, sick to her stomach. "Ya gonna beat me to death too, aye? How 'bout it then!" she threatened them with the plank she'd picked up.

They quickly scattered, laughing and jeering, joking about how 'they'd' hit him hardest.

Shirley couldn't fight it anymore. She threw up, hitting her knees hard. Spitting and wiping her mouth with her sleeve she muttered a Chinese curse she'd learned while an exchange student. Kneeling beside him, she looked through a veil of tears at his broken body. Helplessly she rested a hand on his chest, bending over him as she began to sob. Resting her head on his chest, ear to where his heart was, she lay down, not minding the blood.

Listening with half an ear she unconsciously started counting the seconds between his heart beat.

Wait.

What? she froze, stilling her sobs, holding her breath. Thud-thud. A moment of silence. Thud-thud. She tried not to start laughing in relief, biting her knuckles in pure joy. He was alive?! she sat up, looking around wildly. None of his attackers were in sight, which was a good thing; but there were random people cautiously watching her, reserved, not saying anything. They hadn't said anything when the mob attacked him either.

Coming to a quick decision Shirley stood, wiping her hands on her jeans. "I'm burying him," she said softly, not to loudly, but so that anyone listening would hear.

"Not in the city, and not in a cemetery," one of the vendors spoke up from where he was sweeping out the walk way in front of his small liquor store.

"Why not in a cemetery?" she bit back, instantly defensive.

"Wouldn't be proper, is all."

"Dogs are buried 'n cemeteries! Cats're! He was as much alive as ya'll are!"

"We have souls, dogs have spirits-"

"Oh! oh really? Did cats 'ave spirits to?!"

"Yeah, and they still do!" he snapped back.

"He had cat in him!" she shrieked, furious. "Ya'll wanna blame someone for their existence! Ya'll want a boogie man to burn outta his 'ome! Go find the geni that made the bloody things! It's their fault! How did'll the Trans escape, hmm," she got in his face. "HMMM! Who authorized the bloody genetic experiments! When all ya'll are ready to burn them bastards outta their homes, ya'll let me know, I'll bring the pitchforks! 'Til that time, you leave him be, ya hear."

She started walking away. "I'm coming back fer him, so don't nobody touch him! And I 'ave a phatagraphic mem'ry, so I'll know if anybody did!" With that parting sally thrown over her shoulder she burst into a run, full out, as fast as she could. And she could run pretty fast.

Forcing herself to move in a measured, calm pace she ripped the saddle off of its rack threw it on her, very well trained, horse, cinching it. Grabbing a blanket she tied it on, firm but fast, and then mounted from the wrong side, and rode out.

She did many things from the wrong side; like trying to save this Transgenics life. She knew there was a very real possibility he would die. He might be dead already, but she honestly didn't care. She was sick of this discrimination. Why did every single new race that came to be known have to fight for equality, for recognition; for the right to live where and how they wanted to. First it was the Native Americans; then it was the transplanted Americans; then it was the slaves, and their fight is still going on. Sure, the laws are in place, but Shirley had come to realize that even if all the right laws were in all the right places; peoples heads rarely were. Not without some severe and repetitive concussion blows to the head. Either figuratively or literally. Shirley was never good at doing things figuratively. She liked literal things.

Guiding her horse through the streets back the way she'd come she drew many stares from people on foot. Especially the sector cops. But she kept her head up, back straight, horse trotting. Bored cops as they may be they were smart enough to recognize the sign of wealth about her. How else would she have dared to ride a horse through the streets of Seattle.

Dropping off the horse beside his body, she noted with a distinct pleasure that her threat had been heeded. Nothing had been moved or touched, that she could tell. Touching his chest nonchalantly she pretended to cross him, when she was really feeling for his heart beat. It was weak. Too weak. Cursing, in Mandarin this time, she untied the blanket and wrapped him in it as best she could. Then she looked from him to the saddle and groaned inwardly. How was she going to manage this?

Looking around for someone who would be desperate enough to help her, for a little incentive, she spotted a group of six ne'er-do-wells lounging on the corner.

"Hey!" her voice snapped across the night, making them instinctively know she was addressing them. "Want some extra money? One come and help me."

When they all started moving she barked "ONE!"

There was a moments hesitation, then one stepped forward, slapping a friend on the shoulder and saying something that brought a laugh.

Tapping her foot impatiently, and loudly, made him move quickly, instantly realizing what she needed help with.

"Questions equal no money. No questions? Money. A roll of it."

The reluctant Samaritan nodded, gripping the man's legs. She gave her horse the command to stand and stay there, then motioned for her and the helper to switch places. With a grin he moved to take the john doe's shoulders, she gripped his ankles, and with a concerted grunt and heave they got the body on the horse's back. Wiping her hands on her jeans Shirley reached into the secret pouch in the back of her jacket and took all the money out of it. "Share it."

With a knowing grin he reached to grab it, but she pulled back. "Share. It." Moving to address the whole bunch she held up her hand. "One hundred sixty to each," handing it to the leader she added, in a lower tone, "With forty extra for the one who did the heavy lifting."

She noted his eyes as he took the money, recognizing the honesty in them. Kids like this, all they needed was a little help. Something to get them on their feet.

The other five had reached them by this time, and as she turned to lead the horse away, although she knew the man's time was limited, she couldn't help but turn back. "Make something of it. Find a job, make a living instead of relying of stupid people with no backbone." Almost as an after thought she added, "I hear there are a lot of vacancies at a messenger service called Jam Pony - it's run by a guy named Normal. Show up regularly, do your job; get a life. Stop stealing everyone else's."

She ran again, leading the horse behind her. Finally reaching her home she led the horse through the iron gates, and wished, just briefly, that her father hadn't fired their maid before he and her mother ran off to Hawaii.

Leading the horse through the front doors and into the elevator she thanked whatever crazy impulse her parents had that made them build such a massive elevator in their house. Leading the horse down to her lab she untied the man, bracing his fall as much as she could. Unwrapping him she felt for a heart beat. There wasn't one.

Not to be deterred she charged up her defibrillator as high as it could go, letting the horse wander. It was well behaved, and used to being left in the house. Shouting 'clear' to herself she released the shock into the unknown man's body, holding her breath as she felt for a pulse. If that didn't help . . .Yes! there it was. Faint, faltering. But beating.

Rolling her sleeves up she sighed. It was going to be a long, hard night.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Max felt numb, sitting on the roof the building she'd selected as a hide out. It was dark out now; the stars were shining brightly, seemingly mocking her and her pain. The news of what had happened to Alec had spread like wildfire through Terminal City, which created a need for her to stop everyone from doing what she herself was dying to do.

Hunt Ames White down and kill him.

Logan had been in shock. Joshua was silent, disappearing shortly after everything was back to a semblance of order, with a standing command from her that no one was to leave Terminal City.

Except that's exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted to just get on her bike and ride; maybe never stop riding. Just leave. Leave, and leave everything behind her. But then she thought of everyone who depended on her.

Joshua; Logan, though she hated to admit and he would stubbornly argue that he didn't. Cindy. Normal. Luke. Mole. Gem, and Dalton, and every Transgenic out there, really. They needed someone who could stand in front of them and guide, teach, talk for them. It was times like this that she hated what she had to do; she couldn't revenge the death of her best guy friend because it would cause a war between two factions of people on the same planet.

Sighing she felt her throat closing up as she thought of Alec. His ridiculous grin, his obnoxious swagger; the way he had a smart alecky comment for practically everything. Her body started shaking as the tears found their way out. Angrily wiping her cheeks she stood abruptly and ran down the stairs, drawing a few looks from the other Transgenics who were taking similar comfort in silence.

Max ran to the shed they kept the bikes in, ripping the cover off of her baby. Jumping on and starting the engine she rode out, jumping the fence and riding through a flaming X that had been set up. She let the bike drive itself, following the curves of the roads, going way to fast for safety. Pulling up in front of the building she wanted she ran up the stairs two at a time, finally stopping and knocking on a dirty white door.

Cindy answered the door with tears running down her cheeks. "Boo?"

Max couldn't fight it anymore. She hit the floor knees first as she just started sobbing. "The last . . . thing I . . . I said, . . . was," she struggled to talk through her tears as Cindy helped her into the apartment, finally sitting her on the worn couch and curling up beside Max, stroking her hair comfortingly. "I don't . . . need help . . . help, espec- . . . especially not from you!" Max broke down sobbing harder than ever, hardly able to breathe.

Cindy hugged her close and rocked her, her own tears falling in Max's hair. "There have been people in my life that I said things too, that were the last thing I ever said to them. And I regret a lot of them," Cindy's voice cracked at the end

"He was my friend!" Max cried. "And the worst thing is, everyone thinks we were together! Especially Logan!"

"Shhhhhh, shhh," Cindy rubbed her back, up and down and in circles.

"I think Logan's glad he's dead!"

"Now, boo. Don't talk like that; just don't talk like that boo," she rocked her harder. "You wanna go someplace?"

"Like where?" Max said softly, spent from her burst of emotion. She was still crying, but the sobs were less frequent. She felt awful, like she should just sob and never stop. Why? why did this have to happen?

"Crash."

Max started shaking her head before the word was finished. "It's too dangerous."

"Boo," Cindy leaned over so she could look into her eyes. "I want a drink. Sketchy's gonna be there, I'd bet money Normal'll show up. Alec meant a lot to quite a few people. And grief ain't good when dealt alone."

"I don't know," Max started sobbing again.

"Come on," Cindy pulled her to her feet. "We're goin'."

Locking the door behind them Cindy and Max walked down stairs arm in arm, still crying softly. They made their way to Crash uneventfully, though there had been a few groups of men that eyed them. One glare from Max sent them scurrying like mice from a cat.

Entering Crash Max immediately smelled alcohol, and body scent. No different than usual. The noise was awful, but it usually was crowded.

"Hey!" A shout at them made Max's head snap up, ready to kill anyone who mocked her and Cindy. She tried a smile when she saw an already drunk Sketchy somberly holding up an arm so they could locate their friends. Making their way over there Max was surprised to see Normal was actually there, along with Logan. Joshua wouldn't have been able to risk it; not with the high blood against Transgenics.

"Hey, you're that Transgenic queen witch, aren't you?" a very loud, and particularly drunk man shouted from right behind her.

"So what!" she spat, spinning around with murder in her eyes.

Somehow that look of utter chaos cut through the fog covering his rational sense. "Uhh, hi?"

Punching him lightly she snorted, turning her back as he went flying. Nothing would break, unless you counted the table he was going to land on. "This is too public. Let's go the balcony table." Everyone at the table wordlessly got up and followed her as she ran up the stairs and took the dusty table cloth off the round table up there.

This 'balcony' area wasn't used much, as evidenced by the inch of dust on the table cloth, mostly because new comers didn't know and old comers didn't care. Turning to watch the others ascend the stairs she was taken by surprise by a bear hug from Sketchy.

"He was my brother," he said surprisingly distinctly, considering the smell of beer on him. "Always will be."

Max hugged him back, trying not to start crying again. "Know the feeling."

Stepping back Sketchy punched her shoulder lightly; actually lightly, not the 'lightly' of a Transgenic. He took a seat.

Logan passed her without a word, being extra careful not to touch her or come near to touching her.

Cindy hugged her, then sat next to Sketchy and helped him poor another beer.

"Tap's open!" the bartender shouted up. The tap he was referring to was a faucet over a basin in the wall that was tied to a reservoir of beer in the basement. "Just checked the beer, it's still good."

Cindy waved a silent thanks, getting up and filling the pitcher.

Meanwhile Normal was standing at the top of the stairs, empty tankard in hand, at a loss for words. Max took a shaky breath and stepped forward to hug him tightly.

Normal jumped, shocked. He'd thought he'd have to leave when she showed up.

Patting his back she stepped back, taking his glass. Walking over the the table she filled it, setting it in front of a chair and quite deliberately taking the chair next to that.

Normal hurriedly sat down and took a sip, trying to smile at Max.

Max nodded, taking a sip of her beer.

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours.

Sketchy sat completely sacked out in his chair, seemingly at a loss for words as he toyed with the handle of his tankard. Finally he said, "How do you toast a guy like that?"

After a few seconds Normal raised his glass and said, "Exactly like that," taking a deep draught.

"Remember, what you told me about how you first met him?" Cindy asked tentatively. She knew Max was having a hard time with this, especially with Logan sitting silent as stone as a constant reminder of the lie Max had told about Alec.

Max kind of laughed, choking on tears at the end. "He just waltzed right in, nearly got me caught working on the stones under my bunk. He was kind of offended when I kicked him."

Sketchy laughed. "You know, I always guessed there was something about him; something . . ."

"Off?" Max offered.

"Special." Sketchy corrected.

"You'd have more than 'guessed' if you ever saw him fight," Normal joined in. "Man, he was like a . . . like a cat, you know? Every move calculated, every motion smooth. He could deck anything; anyone that he was up against, didn't last more than, seventy seconds."

"I did." Max said softly. She knew Normal didn't remember, but she thought it would be fair to share this story with them. With Alec's friends. One last laugh on Alec. The thought of how he'd be whining and rolling his eyes right now made her smile for real.

"When?" Normal looked at her expectantly, puzzled. He'd never seen Max fight, and he'd been at every fight Alec was in. Well, in the ring at least.

"You'd hired Mia, remember her?"

"Mia, Mia, Mia . . . Ohhhh, Mia! yeah, I remember her. Dispatcher wasn't she? What ever happened to her, she was a good worker," Normal poured himself another beer and topped Max's glass off.

"She had been part of Psy-ops division in Manticore - telecoercion was her specialty. She could make anyone do anything, tell her anything that she wanted. But she had found this one man who was completely immune to her abilities . . .


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Joshua sat in his room, staring at a blank canvas with a paint brush in one hand and a pallet in the other. He wanted to paint right now, but he didn't have the inspiration. He felt like he didn't have anything right now.

Alec was dead. How was that possible? How?

Joshua wanted to forget, wanted to block everything out. Painting let him do that. Painting was the only thing that let him completely block out everything. But he had no inspiration. Alec would know what to do. Alec had always been able to help him find something to paint.

Alec.

Joshua scooted closer to the canvas, dipping his brush. Pain melted away as the colors melded, the picture took form. The form of a friend. The form of his friend. Alec.

_"This gas leak is nothing to be concerned about. The explosion was purely a result of human error in the management and containment of this usually harmless gas," Joshua heard the news reporter saying. "and it is no reason to not trust the safety of the gas itself. Just, don't leave the stove on when you leave the house, make sure that if the stove has been running, you open every window you can - make no attempt to shut the stove off, do not light candles, cigarettes, a lighter, do not strike a match. Do not use a cell phone inside the house. Go outside, across the street, warn your neighbors and call 911. They'll alert the proper authorities to come deal with it."_  
_"Hey! get those cameras out of here!" A familar voice cut across the news. White's voice._

Joshua dropped his brush and pallet to run over to the TV. White? why would he be at a gas explosion sight, acting like he was in charge. Then Joshua saw White start talking to another guy. And he read White's lips as the conversation began. Fenistole.

Fenistole? the cult hello?

Studying the scene of the camera slowly swept the area, predictably not leaving, as the crew had been ordered to, Joshua noted the medics treating several guards; the broken window, the slight blood stains on the ground.

No burns on the guards. No soot on the floor. No fire trucks.

White had been the one who killed Alec. White had been the one to put Alec in a bag and drive him off. But why take him? Why take Alec's body. Unless, it hadn't been a body.

Joshua snuck out of the city carefully, wearing a too large coat and a broad brimmed hat, just to make sure he wasn't spotted as being a Transgenic. He made his way to where the 'payroll station' was, noting that the medics were gone, but the camera crew was still there. He scented the air, testing, guessing.

Yes.

A hint, just a taint, of blood in the air. Alec's blood. The same blood he'd smelled this morning. Taking one last look at where White stood speaking to a woman in a black coat Joshua scented again and set off in the direction the blood went.

The path was fairly easy to follow, which worried Joshua; X5's were taught better than this. But then the blood trail ended. There was one place where the scent was strong. Scary strong. But then the blood ended and a new scent began. Earthy, musky. So, Joshua decided to follow it.

The musky trail brought him to a massive wrought iron gate, with an equally massive house behind it. Since the musky trail continued through the gate, Joshua climbed over the gate, following the scent up the stairs, through the still open front doors, which he closed behind him, and into an elevator. There was an extra scent in the elevator, but when he got out all he could smell was blood. Fresh, blood. Alec's.

Running down the hall, following the scent as it got stronger and stronger until he turned the corner into a spacious room and stopped short upon seeing a woman, her hair pulled back, sleeves rolled up, apparently cutting Alec open.

Joshua snarled, running at her as he ripped his coat and hat off.

Looking behind her she screamed, but it took a moment for her words to register.

"I'm helping him, I'm helping him!"

Joshua stopped, puzzled, but still growling deep in his throat.

"He has massive internal injuries, I'm trying to stop the bleeding!"

Joshua looked cautiously, his stomach turning over at the sight of so much blood, but he recognized the needle and thread she had in her hands. The thread was attached to a blood vessel, partially sown up, that was still bleeding.

"Helping?" he said hesitantly, not quite believing it. She had no smell of Transgenic about her, unless you counted Alec's blood all over her clothing and hands.

"Yes," she turned back to her work, quickly resuming sewing. "He's lost too much blood, way too much blood. I don't know what blood type he is, I can't do a transfusion." she muttered, as if to herself. She kept sewing though. Knotting and snipping that thread to cut a new length and start on an entirely different blood vessel. "Losing too much blood." She glanced at his heart monitor. Sporadic, no where near stable, but she'd had to pump him full of anesthetics because he'd started thrashing; she couldn't sew if he wouldn't hold still. The heart beat was faint though. Too faint. "He's not going to make it," she muttered, shaking her head. Still sewing.

Joshua couldn't believe it. She was a human, standing over Alec's bleeding and torn body, saying he wasn't going to make it, but she was still fighting for his life.

"Blood transfusion?" he repeated, remembering her saying she didn't know Alec's blood type.

"I don't know his blood type, it's too dangerous. Without an exact match . . ." she shrugged.

"Exact match. We are, I am . . . Manticore, made us all universal donors. Same type," Joshua held out his arm. "Exact match."

She stood frozen for a split second, then she was blur, running over to a cupboard and ripping its contents out. Scattering tubes and needles and syringes and bottles all over the floor she sorted out two needles, a transfusing tube, and she grabbed a flow filter out of the corner. "Take your shirt off."

Joshua started to comply, confused. "Shirt?"

"I need a line close to your heart, it's the best chance he has."

Nodding Joshua quickly started taking the layers off. He rarely took his clothes off, unless he took a bath, but that was rare. He felt highly self conscience standing in front of a complete stranger with nothing but his pants on.

She took no note of his half nakedness. She'd continued sewing while he stripped, setting her needle aside again to push Joshua into a chair beside Alec. Attaching the tubes to the filter so that it vacuumed the air out she picked an artery in his kneck and shoulder region and inserted the needle, holding the other needle poised to insert it into Alec's neck. "A vein, I need a vein; something that goes to his heart." she finally found what she was looking for, he guessed, because she inserted the needle and started the transfusion. Then she went right back to sewing Alec up.

DADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADA DA

Joshua felt dizzy, like he was drifting in clouds; which was odd, because he didn't really know what clouds felt like. He kept hearing a beeping sound; somewhere close, but not. Like he was underwater. He liked being underwater. Swimming. There hadn't been many opportunities for him to swim while at Manticore. Manticore. Where he'd met Max. Then Alec had helped Max escape. He and Alec. Alec.

Joshua woke with a violent start, growling out of an instinct of fear, not remembering where he was.

"And that's why they say let sleeping dogs lie," a soft voice, kind and gentle, said from somewhere.

Looking around Joshua remembered what had happened. He'd heard the news, heard White's voice. Seen the cult greeting being used. Then he'd tracked Alec down, to find a woman fighting a battle she knew she couldn't win. And he'd volunteered for a blood Transfusion. Looking at his arm now he saw that there was a bandage where the needle had been.

Looking to where Alec lay, pale and sick looking against the white bed sheets, Joshua walked over slowly. The beeping sound had come from the heart monitor beside Alec, keeping track of each thud of his friend's heart.

Shirley was exhausted. All she wanted right now was to fall into bed and sleep for the next, thirty days. But, she couldn't leave her patient yet. He was okay, right now. Like, he might still die in the next five hours. But right now all of his internal bleeding was stopped, either by thread, the body's natural reaction to a burst blood vessel, or cauterization. There was no way she could've sewn every single bleeding vessel.

He had bruises still. Nasty, black bruises, especially on his back, chest, arms; legs. The ankles and wrists were especially bruised, which was indicative of him recently being restrained against his will; but that didn't make since because she'd found him being beaten to death on a street. Unless, the street wasn't the first place he'd had bad luck.

The bullet wound was fine. It showed signs of being tended to before, but the stitches had torn and blood had started flowing again during the beating. Over all however, it was the cleanest wound he had.

She watched the obvious Transgenic as he tenderly stroked the man's hair. He'd given her quite the scare, charging in and snarling like that. But, she understood why. For all he knew she could've been a sick maniac cutting his friend up for the black market. He had, quite literally, saved the man's life with that blood transfusion. He'd almost given his, in fact, because she had gotten so caught up in stopping the man's bleeding she lost track of time.

The dog man had been unconscious from blood loss of his own by the time she'd shut the transfusion off and disconnected them. She'd wrestled him into the recliner, then set up a bag of what she hoped was O+ blood. She guessed it had been; either that or his body had adapted it to work.

She started with surprise when she realized she was staring into his eyes, and he seemed to be expecting an answer for something. "What?"

"Joshua," he held his hand out.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Shirley," she shook his hand. "And what's his name?"

Joshua looked at her in obvious shock. "You, don't know him?"

"No. No, I, uh, kind of rescued him from a mob of Transgenic haters. Brought him here and started fighting for his life." she laid a hand on Joshua's arm. "Thankyou, for coming. I don't know what brought you here, but you saved his life. For now."

"For now?"

Shirley hesitated, unsure how he'd take it. "His injuries are extensive; I've repaired what I can, his body is showing signs of healing, but with the ordeal he's been through. He may die still."

"Better not tell Max he's alive, then. Just in case," Joshua looked at his friend with sad eyes.

"What, what's his name?" she repeated.

"Alec. Smart-alec; saved Max, helped, helped Max get out. Max came back, got us all out."

"Alec," she tried the name. "Yep. It definitely fits him."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The clanking is what woke her up. A kind of steady but sporadic thump and clank from somewhere near by. Slowly opening her eyes Max blinked, yawning. Sitting up and stretching to get the kinks out of her back she yawned again. Looking around she saw Sketchy passed out on the floor snoring and drooling with his head pillowed on his arm. Cindy was stretched out against the wall on an older looking blanket, Normal passed out beside her. Logan was nowhere to be seen.

Standing, Max carefully stepped over the two sleeping men to shake Cindy lightly.

"Mornin' boo," came the sleepy reply.

Smiling Max wiped her eyes as she felt moisture gathering again. "Morning."

"Gotta go, I s'pose," Cindy sat up, yawning as she stretched, which made Max yawn again.

"Yeah. Can't get caught out, and I kinda told everyone not to leave Terminal City, so . . ."

"Chieftan better get back, eh? No problem, boo," Cindy hugged her. "I'd best start rousing these two and get them to Jam Pony. Normal late to work? He ain't ever gonna live this one down."

Max enjoyed the walk to the apartment building for her bike, then the morning ride back to TC. She expected glares and stares when she got back to the command center, but everyone just nodded, patting her on the back or smiling sadly. She noticed several avoided her gaze, like they had snuck out last night.

Coming to a quick decision Max ran up the stairs to the computer area, calling for silence. "Look," she started. "I know this is hard. Alec was a friend, to quite a few of us. Losing a soldier is never easy, even if you never knew the one who fell. I don't mind if you left last night; I left. I went, I found a friend. What I do not want is a revenge spree against the humans.  
"Alec is dead; and no amount of blood on the streets is going to change that fact. Blood on the streets will lead to more blood; our blood. The blood of our children, our friends, our enemies. The best way to heap shame upon a foe is to smile in their face as you offer a helping hand. So let us smile; let us extend the hand of friendship, for when one finger points at others, three point back at us. But when we extend the friendship, it's all on them. So let's put it all on them!" she unconsciously raised her clenched fist in the air with her last words, being answered by agreement.

Max nodded approvingly. They'd heard; they'd take it to heart. "Spread the word."

They all scattered, talking excitedly amongst themselves.

Max descended the stairs wearily, walking heavily so that every step echoed.

"Hey Max?" a voice said from behind her.

"Yes?" turning she saw Luke, the trench digger who'd become their dispatcher and monitor-er of all the security cameras. His eyes looked more puffed than usual, and his ears noticeably drooped more, but he still smiled cheerily. "Good speech."

"Thanks," she smiled at him; it was hard not to, with his earnest face and honest manner. "Where's Joshua?"

"I don't know. He was in his room painting last I knew; he might have wandered out to Logan's though."

"Okay, thanks," she called over her shoulder. She should've invited Joshua to Cindy's; leaving him alone all night hadn't been the kindest thing to do.

Reaching Joshua's room she stopped in the door way and gasped. A painting, unfinished, sat on Joshua's easel. And there, smiling at her from the canvas, was Alec; his smirk and shining eyes almost mocking her. But that was how Alec had always appeared. Aloof; set apart. 'I'm always alright'. That was his phrase; the words he said to reassure everyone. She wondered now who they'd been really meant for - those around him, or him.

Leaning against the door jam she stood, resting her head on the door jam as well. After several minutes just staring at the painting she moved into the room, going to Joshua's bed.

It was flat, and completely untouched. "Joshua?"

Turning around she swept the room, looking for him. Oh no; if he got caught outside TC, in the daylight, in the emotional condition he was probably in . . .

She ran out, planning on asking Luke to go through last night's footage of the fences to see if Joshua had really left or if he was just hiding; and if he was hiding, where he was at. She burst into the command center and nearly collided with Logan.

"Whoa, Max!" he jerked back, barely avoiding getting run over.

"Luke?!"

"Yeah Max," he looked over the railing at her.

"You're sure the last time you saw Joshua he was in his room?" she climbed the stairs two at a time, resting against the railing beside the shorter Transgenic.

"Yep, why?" he asked, worried by her question.

"He's not there. His bed hasn't been slept in, and there's a painting of Alec sitting on his easel - unfinished," she stopped slightly breathless.

"Unfinished?" Logan's voice came from behind her.

"That's not like Joshua," Luke frowned slightly, his brow wrinkling in thought.

"I know, can you run the footage from last night to see if he left?" she sounded like a child, even to her own ears.

"Yeah, no problem," Luke quickly went to the computer and booted it up, tapping his nails against the desk as he waited for the screen to come up.

"Thanks," Max laid a hand on Luke's shoulder, standing behind him so she could watch the footage.

Logan stood by the rail, brow furrowed in worry of his own. Max didn't seem okay; she was acting fine, she was acting normal - but maybe that was the problem. She'd just lost her lover; shouldn't she be an emotional wreck or something? Or maybe Logan was wrong - maybe she didn't care that much. Maybe she didn't love Alec; or maybe Transgenics didn't even know what love was, in reality.

Shaking his head to rid it of such uncharitable thoughts he went to stand off to the side, ready to help when they found Joshua. Josh was his friend too.

"Hey, Max?" Dalton called from the door way hesitantly.

Looking over at him Max saw him motion for her to follow him, so she told Luke to keep looking for Joshua and then ran down stairs to see what Dalton needed.

"What's up kiddo?"

"Not anything good - the Lieutenant is here; with White," Dalton spoke quietly, almost to quietly to hear. He didn't want anyone else here knowing White had showed up like the cocky bastard that he was. They'd all break down the fence in order to kill him.

Max nodded, recognizing Dalton's worry - and mirroring it in her own mind. White. Her fingers curled at the very thought of the murderer; but, his blood would cause nothing but all out war, and destroy any hope of peace the Transgenics were holding onto.

"Come on," she spoke just as softly, turning him around to walk out of the building. Looking over her shoulder she saw Logan watching her with a furrowed brow. 'Come on' she mouthed at him.

He nodded. 'Want back up?'

'Find a giant'.

He gave her the okay signal.

The giants were a recent arrival at TC, but loved greatly by all there. They were loyal, strong, very very tall, and their compassion was unlimited. Alec hadn't formed any strong friendships with any of them either.

After arriving at the border of TC Dalton let Max go first.

She braced herself, then stepped through the front 'gate' that had been built to convenience the many meetings between Max and the Lieutenant.

"Good morning 452 . . . Max," Clemente said, self righteous as ever. White stood leaning against the shiny black car they'd arrived in. It looked like someone was sitting in the back seat of the car, but Max didn't pay much mind to it.

"Get out!" she hissed, feeling her blood begin to boil at the sight of White.

"Why?" he mocked her.

"GO AWAY!" she screamed, stepping forward with her fist clenched, glaring at White. He just stood smiling mockingly.

She almost dove for his throat but she felt a hand on her shoulder; light and loving.

"Max! You can't," Logan tried to stop her without actually touching her.

"Sure I can - I can snap his scrawny little White neck right now!" she stepped forward, but stopped when Dalton stepped in between them. "Dalton." He looked terrified, but sure of himself.

"Alec was my friend too, you know," he said quietly.

Clemente stepped forward with his hands on his hips. "What? Who, what's going on-"

"Shut up!" Max snapped, never looking away from Dalton. "But?" she prompted.

"Gem's my friend too - and I know what not having to fear for Ronnie's life means to her. If you kill him, as much as the bastard deserves it, that hope Ronnie has, and the other children, and their children . . . the blood will never stop. And we will never truly be free."

Max knew he was right; she'd just a speech about that, hadn't she? Not taking revenge - not killing those responsible. But White was responsible for soooo much more than just Alec.

Logan could feel the anger in Max, he could see the wrath she was holding back - in the coiled muscles, the quick, deep breathing in preparation for battle. The single minded glare at White. And he knew that if no one did anything, she was going to snap - especially with White standing there smiling at her. Dalton was a quick talker most times, a great strategist, but he would not be able to stop Max - not with how mad she was.

"Excuse me," a deep boom made Logan jump. He'd forgotten about the giant he'd found and asked for help.

Stepping to the side so that the giant could step into the outside Logan smiled at the momentary flicker of White's smile. The Lieutenant just stood speechless and confused.

The giant pushed Max out of his way, pushing Dalton similarly out of his path. Max still didn't relax her pose of ready to kill, but she didn't fight the giant's touch either.

"My names Sampson," the giant, Sampson, spoke, making the humans watching jump at the deepness of his voice. "I will act as referee."

"Miss 452 doesn't need a referee," White taunted.

"Oh yeah!" Max stepped forward threatening him again. Sampson picked her up. Just, as simply as that, like she was a child that was trying to run away. One hand under each arm, gently holding her several inches off the ground. Then he set her back down, where she'd originally stood.

"Okay, I'm confused," Lieutenant Clemente spoke up again. "What's changed?"

"What's changed?" Max asked, cocking her head. If she'd had a tail it would've been being whipped back and forth. "He murders a Transgenic, in cold blood, after ambushing him in OUR city, and you have the guts to ask what's changed?!" her voice grew in volume with each word until she was shouting in his face.

Clemente backed off. "That's what I want to talk about."

"Oh, oh is it!"

"The Transgenic attacked the men-"

"Attacked the men! Alec was walking in circles, he didn't even know they were there until they rammed a rifle butt into his forehead!"

"That's not the story I was told-"

"Who told you?" Max challenged. "HIM!" she pointed accusingly at White. "Because just so you know, he wants us all dead!"

"And why would he want that?" Clemente asked arrogantly, crossing his arms.

Max actually stood speechless for a moment, opening and closing her mouth soundlessly. Sampson reached her just in time to grab her arm as her fist arced towards the Lieutenants face. He tried to pick her up again but she gut kicked Clemente before Sampson pulled her away.

Dalton grabbed Max's thrashing legs as Logan ran to the collapsed Lieutenant.

"Are you okay?" Logan asked, panicking.

"Winded," Clemente said, struggling to breath.

Logan patted his back, staying beside him even though he heard Max screaming incoherent abuse at Clemente and White. Logan couldn't help them.

Dalton finally slapped Max, snapping her head to the side, but she promptly punched him in the ear, sending him reeling.

"Maybe this isn't the best time," White's arrogant mock came above the noise.

Logan clenched his teeth, looking at the agent. He was beginning to think maybe he should deck him, just so that Max could have the satisfaction of watching White get punched, but without giving the people any fuel against Transgenics. Logan was human after all.

DADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADA DA

Joshua sat beside Alec watching the news as he finished up his breakfast that the doctor had prepared before she fell asleep on a cot in the corner. She looked like death warmed over. Alec didn't look any better, and his heart beat was still faint; but it was there.

Joshua nearly dropped the now clean plate when he saw a live news cast of Lieutenant Clemente, Agent White, and Max standing outside Terminal City talking. Max looked mad enough to kill. Joshua jumped out of the chair, dressing haphazardly, then throwing on his coat and hat to run full speed down the stairs, out the door, over the gate and down the road to TC. He could not let Max kill Agent White.

Joshua heard her screaming before he caught sight of the group, with a giant restraining her as Logan bent over the Lieutenant.

Joshua kept walking, pushing people out of his way and getting yelled at because of it. He didn't care.

"Maybe this isn't the best time," White said, arrogantly mocking Max.

Joshua waited until he was behind the car coming around towards White, who hadn't noticed him, before he growled ferociously and snarled, showing his teeth.

Logan jumped in fear when he heard a feral growl and snarl, realizing with horror that Joshua had come back - to find Alec's murderer mocking Max; but, to Logan's surprise Joshua settled for sending White flying in the other direction with that one snarl, sniffing disdainfully when White tripped over Clemente's feet and landed on his face.

"Max, Max," Joshua went to his distraught friend, grabbing her wrists. "Let go."

Sampson refused.

"Sampson, let go," Joshua said louder. "I can hold her. I won't let her touch him."

Hesitating for a second Sampson acquiesced.

Joshua nearly lost his grip when Max viciously kicked his leg, but he caught her around the waist and starting speaking softly in her ear.

Sampson stepped over to where White was standing, trying to regain his dignity, and picked the offender up by his coat.

"Put me down!" White spat, struggling.

Sampson walked over to where the police officers had their perimeter set up, moving rather quickly for his size. And his steps didn't make any sound.

Logan helped the Lieutenant up, watching Sampson intently. What was the giant going to do?

"You want down?" Sampson asked, not quite speaking condescendingly.

"Yes! That why I said I want down! Put me down!" White ranted. "LET GO!"

"Okay," Sampson said simply, opening his hands to let the agent fall like a stone.

There was an impressive splash as White landed in the puddle he'd been suspended over, cursing as he tried to wipe the water out of his eyes.

Sampson shrugged and turned his back, ignoring the agent's yells and shouts and threats. Walking to where Joshua had Max by the waist, still speaking to her, the giant waited patiently.

Max had stopped struggling shortly after Joshua got hold of her and was now nodding mutely as the big fella spoke to her. She nodded emphatically in response to a question and Joshua released her.

She wiped her face, fighting fresh tears as she smiled as the soaked agent glared daggers at her. Then she silently turned and walked into TC, without a word to the Lieutenant or anyone else.

Logan looked inquiringly to Joshua, silently asking what was going on.

Joshua recognized his friends quiet question, but he had something to say to the Lieutenant first. Walking over to the confused man he hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder, ignoring Logan. "You, okay?"

Clemente breathed deeply, feeling a pain in his right side. "I'll live. Now, can someone explain what just happened."

"Max-" Logan started.

"Max is upset, lost a friend. Not ready to deal with people - with her friends murderer. Murderers," Joshua cut Logan off. "Many, many upset by Alec's death."

"I was told 494 had been injured, but rescued."

"Told by whom? Agent, Agent White?" Joshua gestured to the irate agent who was being blocked by his own men; one man in particular who seemed to be trying to convince him to leave.

"Agent White, not what he seems. He, he killed Alec - he's killed many Transgenics, many people. Killed his wife-"

"Okay," Clemente stopped him. "That's enough trash talking. I'm leaving - and Max had better be in control of herself when I come back tonight."

"Give her a week, at least," Logan interjected, furious. Joshua stopped him from going further with a raised hand.

"Logan, please; shush," Joshua lightly pushed Logan back. "Logan's right - one week, for tempers to cool. One week."

"That's ridiculous!"

"I wonder if you'd be better in one week, to talk to your family's murderer?" Joshua challenged him.

"He wasn't her family-"

"Manticore made us, they crafted us, but they did not know us. They didn't understand us. That's why they lost us. They lost our love, our loyalty. If you loved them, they beat you. If you hated them, they beat you. There was no emotion there. No love."

"I really don't have time for this-"

"Isaac," Joshua talked louder, ignoring the Lieutenants efforts to hush him. "Isaac, was my brother. The second; canine in his cocktail too. He loved father; cried when father wasn't there - so the guards, they cut out his tongue. Beat him, mercilessly. I couldn't protect him, couldn't shield him. Couldn't save him."

Clemente looked like he wanted to interrupt, but he held his peace anyway. He might as well listen to the freak's ramblings for a little while.

"I killed him, after we got out - he didn't know we weren't in Manticore anymore. He wouldn't stop, wouldn't, couldn't. So I killed him, to protect you. Ordinaries. No barcodes, no cares - no fear of Manticore. No knowledge of fear, of hate. Hating the very ones whom you loved. You had to love them; or they killed you. Carve out your brain and put themselves in; rip out your soul and put their own doctrine in. Burn it into your brain, sear it in the mind. Duty, Discipline, Mission, Loyalty. You loved, they re-indoctrinated you. You laughed, they put you in solitary. You smiled, they confined your unit - separate but together. One made a mistake, they wiped you all.  
"Then we got out. Away from Manticore, from that hatred, that torture. Free to live, to love - to laugh, without fear - to smile, without restraint. But we still aren't free. We still have to live in shadow, live in fear. Hide from hatred. At least at Manticore we knew who to fear; and why they hated us. Now? We dodge friends for fear of fear itself. The greatest evil in the human heart is fear. And we feel fear. We feel hatred, loss, love, happiness - grief.  
"'How did you learn of us? Did we strike at you as soon as we could? Do we slip out and kill you in your sleep? Do you find cats missing and dogs cowering? We take food. We take medicine. Water, clothes; a book, for fun. Do we steal your children? No. Do we come into your homes, armed and intent, and chase your friends down, kill them, and then take their bodies away? No. Annie, . . ." Joshua choked for a moment, having been freely crying for some time now. He noticed a camera crew had come up behind the Lieutenant, but he didn't pay any attention beyond recognizing they were there. "Annie, was a friend. Didn't care what I looked like - couldn't see. Very, very dear friend. He," Joshua pointed at White. "He killed her. Snapped her kneck - made it look like I did it. I should've, should've snapped his back when I had the opportunity at Jam Pony. That way Alec wouldn't have died!"

Joshua jumped slightly when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Max, who had come to see what was going on.

Her eyes shone as fresh tears found their way down her face. "Come on Big Fella. Let's go inside, okay?"

Joshua nodded, unable to speak for a moment. "You, you think," he addressed Clemente again. "You think on that. Think of us, think of Manticore. Alec. We let the hostages go; left them alone. Had no intention of hurting them at all. What was White doing, in our city? You say he told you what happened. Why was he in Terminal City? Why was he in our home?"

Max took a shaky breath and turned Joshua away from the Lieutenant, letting Logan guide the grief stricken Transhuman into Terminal City. She stood looking at Clemente for a couple seconds, breathing deeply. "What was White doing in Terminal City?"

The Lieutenant stood speechless for a moment. "I . . . I don't know." He finally said.

He was telling the truth, she could tell. "Maybe you should ask him. Careful though," she added. "Don't let him get you alone; especially after what's happened here."

"What's happened here?"

"You heard the beginning of the truth," Max turned her back and walked away, leaving the Lieutenant stunned and confused.

The truth about what?


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Agent White was mad. Otto could tell; after working the Special Agent for as long as he had been, he'd gotten pretty good at reading the man's body language. And right now it was saying 'I want to kill something'. Thankfully, the Agent's ire was not directed at Otto this time; it was the Lieutenant Clemente that had earned his wrath.

"What do you mean, what was I doing in Terminal City?"

"I just want to know what you where doing there - it's a simple enough question, I think," Clemente said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Oh, so you do know how to use your brain then?" White snapped.

Otto flinched, recognizing that 'I'm about to lose it' tone.

"And as for YOU!" White rounded on Otto, pointing an accusatory finger. "Why, where you holding me back."

Otto thought desperately for a good reason, but he decided that he might as well just tell the truth. "I thought -"

"What is it with people and thinking today!"

"It was my reasoning -"

"Oh, so now you know how to reason."

"That it would have been foolish to try to talk to the Transgenic female. She was clearly upset, and beyond reason."

White was silent for several seconds, glaring at the local officer that had been assigned to 'help' him. Stars above, why did the committee make him put up with this? "Foolish?" he finally said.

Otto tried not to flinch. "Yes, sir."

"Well; from now on, you won't being having to worry about that. You're fired."

Otto stood mute in shock. What?! Agent White didn't have the authority, he couldn't . . .

"Didn't you hear me, officer? I said you are fired. I no longer require your idiocy to serve me - go away and never come back," White turned his back. "Now walk out."

Otto numbly started moving towards the door, finding it difficult to breath. He jumped and turned when he heard a violent crash and saw that a lamp had been knocked off the desk. Agent White, letting his temper get the best of him. And then, to Otto's shock, White single handedly lifted the heavy oaken desk and threw it against the wall. Without any visible effort.

Otto bit his tongue, ducked his head, took off his badge and set it on the Lieutenants desk, and then walked out. Not looking back once. He hadn't turned his weapon in, but then, after what he'd just seen, he wasn't sure Agent White was even qualified to fire him. Or claim to be against the Transgenics.

Agent White, was obviously not human. And Otto wanted to know how on Earth he'd gotten to be a Special Agent if he was just a science experiment.

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Shirley woke with a start, trying not to scream when she saw a man leaning over her - a man with a dog's face. Sitting up she brushed her hair out of her face, breathing deeply. "Joshua."

"Shirley," his tone made her look over at Alec sharply. "What's wrong?!"

"'Nothing," Joshua hurriedly reassured her. "Nothing, with Alec."

Shirley looked at her new friend again, closer. His face bore signs of recent tears, his bottom lip was shaking, and every breath was accompanied by a shudder. He was wearing his hat, and the large coat, and his feet were wet with mud. He must've gone to see how Max was doing. She laid a gentle hand on his arm, her own eyes beginning to blur with tears. "What is it?" she whispered.

"We have too, . . . I can't . . . can't lie to Max about this," Joshua sat down on the floor, taking his hat off as he did so.

Shirley moved to sit next to him, putting an arm around him as best she could. He was a big guy, especially compared to her.

Joshua looked at his new friend as she put her arm around him, thinking how it was odd that the biggest hearts tended to belong to the smallest people. Like Max, and now this Shirley; a doctor. Joshua guessed she was around five foot eight inches, maybe five foot nine inches, with brown eyes and shoulder length dark brown, almost black hair. She wasn't overly thin, but she wasn't pudgy either - well rounded, Joshua guessed Alec would call her. Overall she was rather petite, though her fingers were longer than you'd expect. She had shown more compassion and understanding to Joshua than any other human aside from Annie had ever shown. And she wasn't even blind.

"Why not?" she asked quietly, conscious of his studying gaze.

"She can't handle it, she's not handling it," Joshua looked down at his hands as he twisted the felt hat, trying not to cry again. "Flipping out, what the others said."

"Maybe she needs to learn to live without him before we tell her she doesn't need to?" Shirley suggested. "And, I know that sounds wrong, but, hear me out. What'll hurt her more - learning that Alec is alive and well a week from now after she has a handle on her grief and anger, or learning now, and having him die tonight."

"Why would she be angry?" he sounded like a child.

"She's a woman," Shirley said jokingly, smiling slightly. "We women, you know. We store up all our rage and pain until we can't bottle up anymore and then heaven help whatever poor idiot causes us to pop our top."

Joshua chuckled in agreement. "Max, has been very stressed lately - worrying, fretting, not eating, not sleeping. Worrying about everyone but herself; what to do next, how to reach peace with the Ordinaries."

"Well, Alec's death was the straw that broke the camel's back, I guess - well, his disappearance at least. Why didn't anyone think he was alive?"

"They took him away in a body bag, coroner's van."

"That sounds planned. I wonder if Alec was the one they were after?"

"No way to tell; White, White has his own agenda - follows his own rules," Joshua relaxed against Shirley, liking the way she stroked his hair, gently untangling it.

Shirley smiled as she felt him relax. She liked this kind, gentle soul. So mature, yet so much like a little child lost, searching for a mother. Shirley shifted so that he could lay his head in her lap and curl up; she liked the protective instinct that she felt around him and Alec - like she was a mother bear, and they were her cubs. She'd always loved children.

DADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADA DA

Alec woke slowly, fighting to the surface of a fog that enveloped his mind and tried to drag him back down into the blackness. He heard voices talking nearby, softly; not threateningly or whispering - just, talking. He liked it.

Trying to open his eyes he breathed deeply, realizing that was a mistake when he felt a dozen knives of pain stab into him in various places.

"He's awake," he heard someone say. It wasn't a voice he recognized, but it was heard to hear through the fog in his mind. A hand on his shoulder made him jump, jerking away - more knives of pain.

"It's okay, you're fine - just go back to sleep, you need to rest. Let your body heal more," the voice belonged to a women, one he didn't recognize.

"Alec," Joshua's distinct voice sounded from beside him.

"Josh," Alec spoke softly - too softly for human ears to hear but Joshua heard him fine.

"Rest more, Alec," Joshua's voice grew more distant. "You're alright - just rest. I'll watch over you."

They watched Alec's hands relax, his breathing become more regular again; shallow, but regular.

Shirley breathed a sigh in relief and wiped her brow. "Well, he's not in a coma." she smiled brightly.

Joshua smiled, worry furrowing his brow. Alec's voice had been so weak. Maybe his first instinct had been right; not telling Max about Alec until they were sure he would survive.

"Hey," Shirley touched his arm smiling as she looked into his eyes. "You wanna help me find my horse to tend too?"

"You, have a horse?"

"Yep, his name is Morph - come on, I'll show him too you. As soon as I figure out where he's wandered off to," she laughed, taking Joshua's hand as she led him to find Morph and show him the house. Alec would be fine, just sleeping, while they explored.

DADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADA DA

Max sat in the corner of her room, knees hugged to her chest, tears streaming down her face, just bawling. And she didn't think she'd be able to stop anytime soon. Original Cindy sat beside her, hugging and cooing to her. Logan sat a few feet away, desperate to hug the woman he loved, but knowing that she would not appreciate it right now.

She was mourning for the man she'd left him for, for crying out loud. Yet Logan still felt like hugging her. Of course, that would just make her afraid of killing him by sneezing on him or something, so he just sat and watched helplessly, wracking his brain for something comforting to say.

Max felt like a fool. She was bawling over a man she'd considered a royal pain in the neck, thorn in her side, jerk, but strangely a brother somehow, in front of the man she truly loved. The man she loved but couldn't hug; he couldn't even sit next to her for fear of being bumped.

Finally being unable to take it anymore, she shook her head, standing. "I, I can't," she tried talking through her tears, gesturing at Logan.

"I'll leave," he got up hurriedly.

"No, I will," Max ran out, Cindy right behind her.

They found a roof to sit on, Max still crying softly. Cindy just sat and rubbed her back, up and down, back and forth, and in circles.

"It'll be okay, Boo."

"Doesn't feel that way," Max laughed mirthlessly.

"It's gonna be hard, getting over him-"

"There's nothin' to get over!" Max started crying even harder.

"He was your friend, boo," Cindy said firmly. "A friend and a brother. He stood by you. He might've been a prick at times, but deep down, in his heart, we all knew there was a good man in him. He helped you every time you asked. Sure, sayin' saylavee to Asha was a stupid move on his part that made you wanna slap him smart - and lettin' Logan think you two were doin' it was stupid too, but it was the only option you had. Logan can be just as prickly as Alec was capable of bein'."

Max laughed and sobbed at the same time. "Yeah - they were both kings at that."

"My momma had this sayin' - when people pass away, they never die until their memory does. Look at Shakespeare."

"What about him?"

"That guys been dust for centuries, but people still know about him - he ain't dead, yet. I mean, he's dead, but he ain't dead. People still go around shoutin' 'a plague on your house', 'but soft what light'. No one is truly dead until all people on earth have forgotten about them. And we will never forget Alec. There's nothin' we can do, or could've done, to save his life. But we can remember his life."

Max sniffled, trying to hold in her sobs. She finally just nodded, unable to speak as she began sobbing uncontrollably again.

"Shhhhhhh," Cindy rubbed her back, rocking her back and forth.

"I failed them!" Max finally burst out. "Alec, and Biggs, . . . and C.C., . . . and Tinga, and Eva, and Zach! And Brain . . . and Logan, . . . and . . . and . . ."

"Shhh, you haven't failed anybody, boo; you didn't do anything wrong."

"But they're all dead!"

"That ain't any of your fault, hun," Cindy tucked Max's head beneath her chin. "If you want to blame someone, blame White. Or Renfro, or, you know what, blame the idgit that thought up gun powder."

That got a tearful laugh out of Max.

"Really, White's lookin' for a fight-"

"Well he found one."

"Um-hmm, and one that's gonna scare the pink puddin' outta his hide. You already proved that you can paste his hide; you spared his life at Jam Pony-"

"Don't remind me," Max relaxed against her friends chest, sniffling.

"But that's who you are, boo," Cindy whispered. "You, are a good person. And you think White's got you outgunned because he don't play to your rules. The secret is, you gotta know his rule book, and you gotta rip it out from under his feet and beat him over the head with it. He's killed a lot of people, he works with some nasty people, and he may have his closet barricaded right now, but some day, that barricade is gonna fall down and all the angry skeletons are gonna mug him. It'll be Halloween all over him, and I hope I'm there to see it."

"I'll make sure you are," Max whispered. "And if you can't be for some reason. I'm gonna take a picture of it and paste it on my wall."

"There she is," Cindy smiled. "There's my killer girl."

Max smiled, wiping her eyes and settling back further. Let Logan think what he wanted. She'd have a few things she needed from him when she got up; but right now, she just wanted to remember her brother.

It was probably three hours before Max came down from the roof. On her way to the headquarters building she kept stopping to get hugged, or give a hug. She felt better, now. After properly grieving with someone who understood exactly what was going on in her head, and in her heart. She tried not to groan when she saw Logan sitting at the terminals, telling Luke something about the security.

"Hey Max," Luke's greeting was somewhat diminished from his earlier salute.

"Hey Luke," she responded automatically, completely focused on Logan. "Hey, I need to talk to you."

He turned to her with an impassive mask. "There's nothing to talk about, -"

"Yeah, well I think there is."

"Really, Max, it's fine -"

"Alec and I weren't seeing each other," She just came out and said it. She was rewarded with a look of utter dumbfoundedness.

"What?"

"Alec and I weren't together - I wasn't in love with him, I'm not in love with him, it was a lie. How many ways would you like me to state it, Logan?"

He just sat, looking like an idiot.

"And by the way, I never said I was seeing Alec. You just, stopped by my place, saw the guy leaving, made an assumption, left without saying anything, and then accused me. I was trying to push you away, to make you see that you and me weren't going to work because I couldn't take you dying on me because of me," she stopped for breath. "So I broke him out of jail, I took him to my house to keep him from getting caught again and we got to talking about Ben because he asked - he wanted to know what Ben had been like seeings how it had been one of Ben's killings that he got pinched on.

"Ben, isn't a topic I like discussing. It hurts, and so, yeah, I got a little, emotionally vulnerable around the guy. It wasn't like I'm absolute slut that sleeps with anything that's in her apartment. What? You thought because I have cat in me, he has cat in him, that we'd, what, share a communal bed?"

"No," Logan tried to interrupt her.

"Well, guess what Logan, newsflash for you - I may have cat DNA, doesn't mean I act like one year round just because I happen to come into heat three times a year! But then, you think blood is everything because your uncle was a puffed up pompous jerkazoid who's pompousity seems to have passed down to YOU since his death! You think losing your house was hard, you think being out of commission as Eyes Only hurts and is hard? Try living with the knowledge that you killed your one brother, just caused the death of his twin who was probably the most level headed and smartest guy I know right now who actually gave a crap about how I felt and how I feel and the problems I am having, watched your sister fall to the hand of the man who claims you as his 'kids', got another friend shot by trusting someone you shouldn't have, and found one of your newest friends strung upside down over a flaming cross!" Her voice echoed on the lost note, having been growing throughout the entire sentence.  
"Oh, and the other brother who would probably know what to do right now or at least have a pompous enough plan that got my own brain working on a plan that might actually WORK without_ backfiring_?! He's working as a ranch hand and has no idea who he is, who I am, and I can't talk to him because then he'll start to thinking that we were once in love and when he figures out I don't love him he'll try killing the man I desperately love with all my heart! You go through that, Logan, you get genetically engineered, break everyone out of the monster that held you all captive and then have the entire world turn against you! You go through that, and maybe then we can talk about blame and fault and having a crappy life. But until then? Grow a backbone, get out of my hair, and for crying out loud. Stop. PITYING me!" She turned on her heels and started marching down the stairs.

Logan stood and went to go after her. "I don't pity you!"

She spun on the last step. "Oh really!"

"'No! Why would I pity you?"

"Because you think I'll never be free," she said. "You think you're better than me because you were born with money, and power, and you've known freedom since the day you were born. You're Logan Cale, emissary of the great Eyes Only, saviour of the little people. Blah blah woof woof, poor me, oh look; The poor transgenics," she started back up stairs slowly. "They know nothing of the world. They know nothing of freedom, of love, of hope. They know nothing but fear, and pain, and darkness. They're lost, they need help, poor, poor, poor, pitiful, people!" She stopped on the top step glaring daggers at him.

"Well here's something else I know of, Logan. Anger. Hatred. A hatred so strong I could single handedly snap White's neck, wipe out the cult and be back for dinner. But that's not me. That's not Max. That's White's game. So you know what, Logan?"

He swallowed, feeling his throat going dry under her intense gaze. "What?"

"You might want tell Eyes Only he has a date. I want every single file you have, think you have, or know someone who has one on White; Ames White. And Lydecker. And Renfro. And Manticore. And the Committee, and the Cult, and Sandeman, and Santa Clause! Any and every single person who's ever had contact with anyone involved with Manticore, or the Transgenics, or the Committee, or anyone; I don't care if it's a widow who paid for White's mother's fifty times removed cousin in Bethesda, I want to know! If White thinks he can out us, he thinks he can rouse us, he thinks he can elicit a response from me? Fine. Let him get a response. He wants the world to know. Fine. Absolutely, positively, whoopdifreakindewy, fine." She practically growled the last world. "Let them know. Let them all know; let the whole world know, about the Transgenic Conspiracy." And with that, she walked down the steps, out the door, and slammed it with all her might.

Logan stood motionless for several moments, speechless. Had she just said, she loved him?

DADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADA DA

Morph proved fairly easy to find. All they had to do was open the elevator and there he was, patiently waiting for someone to take his gear off. Shirley fell into soft whispering of apology as she hit the ground floor button, slipping his bridle off and unbuckling his girth. Joshua was happy to just listen to her, enjoying just being around her.

Alec, was not having so much fun. His body slowly shuddered as his muscles spasmed, protesting the brutal treatment they'd undergone recently. His brain tried to control the shudders, tried to inhibit the seizures, but his body was beyond listening to his brain.

_The room was stark. Stark white walls, stark lights. Bright lights. His eyes hurt, the lights were so bright. He tried to look away, tried to close his eyes, but nothing helped. Nothing dulled those lights._

_His body shook. He could feel himself shaking, trying to thrash even though he was tied down by straps over his chest, his waist; holding his ankles and arms down. The lights grew even brighter as he tried not to scream. He knew that's what they wanted; they were testing him, trying him. Pushing him to his limit and then seeing how much he could take before he broke._

_It seemed like hours before the lights finally began dimming. He bit his lip as the door opened somewhere; high heels clicking against the stark marble floor. "Hello, X5-494." Renfro's self important tone said from beside him._

_He knew he should look at her, should open his eyes and move his head to look her in the eye and answer all of her stupid, idiotic questions. But he didn't have the strength. He didn't have the will, and quite frankly, he was getting sick and tired of being 'tested'. He'd already proven his loyalty. His body shook slightly._

_Renfro looked with a finely crafted amount of interest, utter disdain, and fabricated concern at the exhausted X5 in front of her. His body was soaked with sweat, and he didn't seem to be conscious. Unfortunate, she thought._

_"X-five three-three-one-eight-four-five-seven-three-nine-f our-nine-four, ma'am," his whisper was barely audible to her._

_She smiled cockily. "How are you feeling, 494?" she said with mock pity._

_"Ready."_

_"For what?" she asked, geniunely confused by his response._

_"Whatever's next."_

_She smiled evilly. Like a cat. "Oh, I wouldn't be to sure of that," she whispered. Addressing the scientists in the room with them she said, "Give him a round of acetylsalicylic acid. That should help with those muscle tremors," she murmmured, well aware that he could hear her._

_The X5 on the table tried not to groan as he heard the scientist approach, heard them load the needle and then wipe a clean spot on his arm. He could feel his body start bracing against the pain that was coming._

Morph was fun to be around, Joshua thought. His nose was soft and velvety, his mane and tail were long and silky, and his eyes were so expressive . . .

Joshua started with surprise when he heard a tray shatter.

Shirley stopped her grooming, she'd already done everything essential, she was just pampering the horse right now, when she saw Joshua tense and turn around with a look of confusion and concern on his face. "Alec?'

They both ran up the stairs, ignoring the slow and stead elevator, to the room Alec was in to find him thrashing on the bed, nearly falling off.

Joshua quickly caught and moved his friend trying to wake him, to make him stop shaking.

Meanwhile Shirley ran to her cupboard of medicines and started rifling through the shelves, looking for the muscle relaxant she knew was in there. "Is there anything I should know before giving him specialized medicine?"

"Like what?" Joshua kept trying to calm his friend, to no avail it seemed.

"I don't know - what does he have in him? What, what's in his blood, his DNA?"

"His cocktail?"

"'Yes! his cocktail, what sort of DNA did they add, take out?"

"He has cat, cat in his cocktail."

"Okay, so no aspirin," not that it would do any good anyway. she threw the offending bottle over her shoulder. Picking up the bottle behind it she froze. "So, would cat medicine work on them?"

"Maybe, why?" Joshua looked at his new friend, stroking Alec's sweaty forehead.

Shirley grinned as she swiped a sterile needle and picked up a wipe and a bottle of sanitizer. "Because I have a seizure inhibitor that is specialized for cats. It's called phenobarbital, and look! I have some Valium right here," she looked puzzled for a split second. "I must've grabbed it last night." she muttered.

Quickly running a calculation in her head she checked the labels on both bottles to read the 'do not mix with' section. Since neither medication listed the other, she filled the syringe with an underestimated maximum dose from each bottle and then set the needle down on the table. Picking up the sanitizer and wipe she doused the cloth and went to wipe the inside of Alec's left elbow. He jerked away from her touch like it was fire.

Joshua braced against the sudden shove in his gut from Alec's shoulder and leaned down to murmur comforts in his friend's ear. Shirley quickly wiped the skin, then grabbed the needle, lined it up with a vein as best she could and plunged it in. She held her patients arm down with all her might, trying to keep the arm still as she slowly depressed the needle to get the medicine into his system. When the needle was empty she pulled it out, sat down and scooched herself out of his reach. Standing she nodded at Joshua that he could release Alec from the pin hold he had on him.

Alec immediately struck out, though it was purely self preservation and nothing personal. Joshua blocked each half hearted attempt, speaking softly, soothing

"He must've been mistreated by doctors," Shirley muttered, dropping the needle in a bowl to clean later.

Joshua nodded, gently catching his friends flailing fist and cooing softly. "They all were."

Shirley didn't venture a guess as to what 'all' Joshua was talking about.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Alec was finally sleeping relatively peacefully, though the odd shudder did still rack his frame. Shirley had checked his stitches earlier, the ones she could at least, and now she was in the kitchen cooking up a broth and soup dinner for herself and her patient. Joshua had gone home to Terminal City to be with Max and help her with whatever she needed help with, Morph was settled in his indoor stall happily munching his grain and hay.

Shirley knew that she'd have to have someone watch Alec tomorrow so that she could wander around town and assure her contacts that she wasn't dead. They got a little jumpy if she didn't visit them daily. Then again they might have to wait, she thought as the motion sensor went off again. Running up the stairs she reflected that she'd have to set up the camping kitchen when Joshua came back.

Reaching the infirmary she shushed quietly, taking Alec's hand and rubbing back and forth softly. "Lay still, Josh isn't here, just lay still; it's okay," she murmured, wishing she had the instant effect Joshua did on the injured Transgenic.

Half an hour later she was back in the kitchen cursing silently as she turned both the burners off and fanned a hot pad over the steaming pots. Well, the food was hot now.

Taking the elevator to get the now scalding liquid meals upstairs she rolled the cart down the hall and into the room, setting the pots in front of an open window. That aught to cool the food down faster. Wandering over to where Alec was yet again shivering she took his hand and rubbed the back of his palm.

Remembering a tip she'd learned from one of her friends she started compressing the joints in his hands; joint compression therapy, as it was called. A relaxant technique for those with sensory issues. Compressing each joint, gently but firmly. She could immediately tell a difference.

Smiling she rolled his bed over closer to the fire to keep him warm, then she scooched the recliner closer, snagged a random book off the shelf, and sat down. William Shakespeare's STAR WARS, by Ian Doescher; Verily, A New Hope. Shakespearian style Star Wars. Perfect for relaxing too, and not that bad to read.

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Max was, predictably, staring at the sky. But she wasn't in Terminal City.

After answering questions about what her plans were, how they were going to deal with White, was Alec really dead, how was she feeling, free psychiatric help . . .

She'd needed space. Lots of it.

So she went to the one place she knew she could find it. The space needle. True, there were memories here, but right now the memories didn't hurt. They just, left her alone. Like she'd swallowed a magical pill that let her let go of all of the pain. She still hurt.

She still missed him. And she probably always would.

His life had been short; to short, considering the crap he'd gone through in the first, what, eighteen? years of his life. But he'd had fun. She knew that.

Because underneath all the con man, slick talking, me, me, me, selfish, pig headed, jerkazoid, I'm always alright exterior he had stubbornly shoved in the face of any who cared to poke and pry, he'd had a heart. She'd seen part of that heart when Rachel's father Robert came after him. And when he'd asked about Ben. The way he'd wrapped his arms around her when she'd told him she'd killed Ben. When she told him Logan thought they were seeing each other.

That was another reason she was here, up in her space. Logan. He'd taken her orders to heart, almost seeing it as a challenge to find every single scrap and molecule of dirt on White that was in existence. But it was more than that. He hadn't even responded when she'd told him she hadn't really been seeing Alec.

Granted, she hadn't really given him a chance, but still. There had been hours after that that he could've pulled her aside and said hey, I get it, I love you. Can we go back to where we had been. There was still the virus, but they could get around that. She'd already firmly told herself to be more careful, to be vigilant and not let her guard down. Now she was wondering if there was even a point.

DADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADA DA

Logan sat at his computer pinching the bridge of his nose. It had been a hard day. First Alec had died yesterday, then Max had nearly killed White, not to mention cracking the Lieutenants ribs, then she'd told him that she was desperately in love with him, ripped his head off and asked for his help. Oh, and she'd practically outed him to the entire population of Terminal City as being Eyes Only, not just working for Eyes Only, but being him. Which was true, but Logan wasn't sure if he felt comfortable with the whole world knowing that.

Did he love her back? Well, yeah. He'd felt like he'd died when she was missing for that one year. And then she'd magically shown up in his place, but then the virus had followed her. Or, traveled with her. Then she had let him believe that she was seeing Alec, which, now that he thought about it, it was stupid of him to have believed that. After all, he'd seen the terror in her eyes when he'd stood between her and the door that night. She would have said anything to keep him from touching her.

He'd wanted to pull her aside all day, but she'd looked so frazzled and hen pecked already he hadn't thought it would've helped. Blinking rapidly he stared at the computer screen, waiting for the files to load. It must be hard for her, losing her brother like that. And believing she was responsible for it. He hoped she had a friend with her tonight.

Tapping the desk impatiently he stretched his neck, hearing the vertebrae crack and pop from not being moved practically all day.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Tap. Tap.

Tap.

Okay, that was it. He put the pen down, stood up, and pulled his jacket off the back of the chair. "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah," the little guy was never far from the computers.

"You know where Max went?"

"Last I heard she was headed for her Space Needle. Want me to take over the computers?"

"Would you?"

"No problem," Luke happily sat down and glanced over the computers to see what train of thought Logan was working on. "Completely under control."

"Thanks."

DADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADA DA

Joshua sat in his room, knowing he should probably go to Shirley's, but he didn't feel like walking just yet. He sat cross legged on the floor in front of his easel, touching up some final details of his latest work. He knew now that Alec was alive, but he thought it would be a good way to show just how much Alec was truly loved by the people in Terminal City. And Jam Pony.  
Funny Asha hadn't been at Crash that night.

DADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADA DA

"Hey Max," Logan's voice came from the darkness.

She smiled. She'd known it was him from the moment she'd first heard his foot steps on the stairs.

"Hey Logan," she answered.

"Mind if I join you?" his voice was right behind her.

"Not to close please," she whispered.

Logan nodded understandingly, sitting a couple feet away and much farther away from the edge than she was. He was human, after all.

Max slid upward till she was sitting beside him, the same distance from the edge.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" he asked, not looking at the stars.

Max's lips curved into a bright smile as she looked back at him. "Yeah, it is."

DADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADA DA

White was less than pleased.

His boss was less than less then pleased. She was furious.

Tapping her nails rapidly on the top of her desk she let him stand in discomfort for several minutes before speaking. "He escaped?"

"Yes, ma'am, he-"

"I asked a simple yes or no question; it does not require a paragraph to answer a yes or no question. It takes one word - either a yes, or a no."

"Yes ma'am." he tried to keep himself from gritting his teeth.

"Now," she stopped her tapping abruptly and picked up the file he had set on her desk. "He escaped?"

"Yes."

She was silent for several seconds before looking at him with a bored expression. "Manners are still in fashion, Agent."

"Yes, ma'am."

"He escaped?" she asked for the third time.

"Yes, ma'am," he was sure to keep his voice devoid of the anger he was feeling, schooling his face into an impassive mask.

"How?" she dropped the file onto her desk with a pop and folded her hands in her lap. "And that, Agent White, is not a yes or no question."

"'I'm not sure."

"Not sure what type of question it was, or not sure how he escaped? Because, I'm not to sure how you could not know how he escaped."

"I am not sure how he could've broken through his bonds, ma'am. Those straps were manufactured to hold those of the cult."

"Hmmm," she pursed her lips and tapped her fingers on the back of her hand. "Maybe, he's stronger than we originally expected?"

"I don't see how that could be possible, ma'am."

"And I don't see how you could be stupid enough to fire one of your agents, completely disrespect the Lieutenant you're supposed to be working on to turn for us, and declare on all out war on the Transgenics with the whole world watching your every move; all in the same day," she smiled coolly. It didn't go farther than her lips.

White just stood silently, knowing that to retort would be to die.

She let him stew for several minutes, counting the seconds in her head to three hundred and sixty before she finally raised one eyebrow at him. "Just, find him. Or it will be you we dissect to dig through your brain."

"I do not possess the genes we need, ma'am," he felt safe replying.

She gave him a cold, small smirk. "How do we know that? Unless we go digging?"

He fought the reflex to swallow under her piercing glare.

"Dismissed, Agent White."

He turned to go, pausing when he heard her take a breath as if to speak.

"And agent," she off-handedly began. "Remember we need him alive - his brain does us no  
good if it is not functioning properly. Remember that."

"Yes ma'am."

DADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADA DA

_The room was bare except for a table and three chairs. The only people in the room were two boys who looked exactly alike, each with barcodes on the back of their necks, sitting in the two chairs opposite a man in a business suit with a cane in his right hand. The man appeared to be looking at a file, but in reality he was watching the two children in front of him._

_Because they were children._

_True, Manticore could call them the 'perfect soldier', and they did so, but in reality the two boys were just that. Two small, frightened young boys who were sitting rigidly in their chairs trying not to tremble from terror._

_Finally Sandeman sighed and set the file down. He really couldn't believe this had happened. Manticore boasted of having the brightest minds doing their research, and yet somehow this mess had occurred. Really, it was embarrassing. And more than that, Sandeman wasn't sure what the long term results might be._

_Standing he tapped his cane on the floor speculatively, then walked over to behind the boys. They sat perfectly still, but he could tell his actions frightened them. Their breathing sped up and their eyes immediately darted to the sides, trying to see him, to locate him. He pulled a small cloth wrapped package out of his inside pocket and, after walking to in front of the children again, he set it on the table and unwrapped it._

_"Hold out your hands please," he said softly, not wanting to startle them._

_They obligingly held out both of their hands, palms down, in front of themselves._

_Picking up the obsidian knife, he thought for a moment before speaking again. "Palm's up."_

_They obeyed, but he could see their muscles starting to shake - their breath coming in fast and shallow. He quickly stepped to the first boy, laid the knife on his right palm and pulled ever so gently. The boy didn't even cry as the knife sliced through his skin without any resistance._

_Sandemen then stepped over to the next boy and took his left palm, setting the knife against it and pulling. When the knife cut, the boy gasped in pain. Sandeman quickly stepped back, set the knife on the cloth and wrapped it up. He pulled out a roll of cloth bandages and wrapped each child's hand, regretting that he had to do this. "Report to me in the morning."_

_Both children nodded, the second boy biting his lip and fighting tears as he held his hand to his chest. The first boy didn't even blink as he evenly met Sandeman's gaze. "Yes sir," he said in his small, odd child's voice._

_The next morning the boys were back in the bare room as ordered, their hands still bandaged. Sandeman slowly unwrapped the right hand of the first boy - where the knife had cut there was a pale, raised, white scar._

_When he unwrapped the left hand of the second boy, there was no mark. Rubbing a finger over the flawless skin Sandeman's breath caught in his throat. But, this was impossible - sure, this was what he had hoped for, but . . . to actually have achieved it?_

_He silently turned the boy around and read the barcode there. "Four-nine-four?" he asked, just to confirm._

_The boy nodded silently._

_"Well," Sandeman turned him around and bent down to look in 494's bright green eyes. "I shall have to keep an eye on you, little ones." he smiled and kissed the boys forehead. Then he pulled the other boy, designation 493, into his arms and kissed his forehead to. "Both of you."_

End of Part One


End file.
